Salesforce has welcomed the Union Budget 2026, describing it as a decisive roadmap that positions India for long-term, intelligence-driven growth and global leadership in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, and digital innovation.
In a detailed statement, Arundhati Bhattacharya, President and CEO, Salesforce South Asia, said the Budget marks a strategic shift in India’s economic model from technology consumption to AI-powered value creation.
“Budget 2026 represents India's transformation from technology consumption to AI-powered innovation, a blueprint for a $7 trillion economy built on intelligence, not just scale. The strategic architecture is balanced and long-term,” she said.
Bhattacharya added that the Budget creates a structural framework that aligns technology, enterprises, and individuals toward collective national advancement.
Cloud Services and Data Sovereignty as Growth Enablers
Highlighting the government’s focus on digital infrastructure, Salesforce termed the tax holiday for cloud services until 2047 a major policy breakthrough.
Bhattacharya described this measure as a “masterstroke” that strengthens data sovereignty and accelerates long-term investment.
“The tax holiday for cloud services until 2047 is a masterstroke in data sovereignty. It is expected to attract nearly $50 billion in data centre investments by 2030, while positioning India as the cloud hub for emerging markets,” she stated.
According to her, this move strengthens India’s control over data, enhances investor confidence, and reinforces the country’s position in the global cloud ecosystem.
MSME Reforms Designed as Force Multipliers
Salesforce also welcomed the Budget’s targeted measures for MSMEs, describing them as strategically designed to enable long-term scale.
“MSME reforms demonstrate sophisticated thinking. The Rs 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund, combined with the TReDs platform mandate and expanded safe harbor thresholds, creates force multipliers enabling India's 63 million MSMEs to scale from survivors to global champions,” Bhattacharya said.
She noted that these reforms address financing, compliance, and operational challenges faced by small businesses, allowing them to integrate more effectively into global value chains.
Education to Employment: Capturing Global Services Trade
Commenting on workforce development, Bhattacharya welcomed the formation of the High-Powered Committee on Education to Employment, linking it directly to India’s global ambitions.
“The High-Powered Committee on Education to Employment targets capturing 10% of global services trade by 2047—ambitious but achievable given our demographic advantage: 65% under 35, digital infrastructure like UPI and Aadhaar,” she said.
Pragmatic and Generational Approach to AI Integration
Salesforce praised the government’s approach to artificial intelligence, calling it practical, inclusive, and future-oriented.
“AI integration is refreshingly pragmatic. Bharat-VISTAAR’s multilingual agricultural platform and AI in school curricula show generational thinking,” Bhattacharya said.
She added that these initiatives are critical to ensuring that “our demographic dividend becomes an intelligent dividend,” particularly in rural and education ecosystems.
R&D Investment: A Critical Gap
While welcoming the overall framework, Bhattacharya also highlighted an important concern regarding research and innovation.
“However, the critical gap remains R&D investment, we risk becoming sophisticated consumers of AI rather than creators,” she cautioned.
She stressed that without deeper investments in domestic research capabilities, India’s long-term leadership in emerging technologies could be constrained.
A Structural Roadmap for Collective National Advancement
Summarising her perspective, Bhattacharya described Budget 2026 as an enabling framework that brings together multiple stakeholders.
“We see the Budget as a structural roadmap that creates an environment where technology, enterprises, and individuals can unite to collectively propel India's future advancement,” she said.
She further noted that “The Union Budget's design powers national growth, driven by AI, cloud sovereignty, and innovative digital platforms.”
Concluding her reaction, Bhattacharya reaffirmed Salesforce’s commitment to India’s digital journey. “This technological foundation is key to defining the future of growth, and Salesforce fully embraces this opportunity,” she said.
With its emphasis on AI-led innovation, cloud sovereignty, MSME empowerment, workforce readiness, and digital platforms, Union Budget 2026 marks a significant step in strengthening India’s position in the global digital economy. Salesforce views the Budget as a catalyst for long-term, intelligence-driven development.
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